Politics & Government

Mountain Forest Town of Angelus Oaks NW of the Pass to Get New Fire Station

Angelus Oaks is situated in the midst of the fire-prone San Bernardino National Forest, northwest of the San Gorgonio Pass.

The mountain forest town of Angelus Oaks northwest of Banning and Beaumont is going to get a brand-new, $2.27 million fire station to replace old Station 98, according to San Bernardino County Third District staff.

The county Board of Supervisors approved a construction contract for the new station on Tuesday, with a total budgeted cost of $2,275,000, and the new station is expected to completed by October 2013, according to Third District Supervisor Neil Derry's staff.

Station 98 at 5766 Frontage Road next to Highway 38 in Angelus Oaks has served as a base for volunteer and paid firefighters since the mid-1950s, according to San Bernardino County Fire Department veterans.

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"The unincorporated mountain community situated along Highway 38 is currently served by an outdated station constructed over 40 years ago," a statement from Derry's staff said. "The structure was initially intended to serve as a storage area for fire equipment and apparatus before being converted to its current use. The new station is designed to meet current fire service codes and regulations."

The new station will include a community room for residents' use, according to Derry's staff.

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"Fire stations in mountain and rural communities serve as more than just tools to protect life and property," Derry said. "They in many ways become a hub of information and social interaction that binds residents together and fosters a sense of shared responsibility, trust and connectedness."

The unincorporated Angelus Oaks community is about 20 miles as the crow flies from Banning and Beaumont. The town is situated in the midst of the fire-prone San Bernardino National Forest, and several trailheads in the area serve as gateways to the federal San Gorgonio Wilderness.

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